Christchurch teachers picketing at an intersection near Hagley Park today. Photo: RNZ / Anna Sargent
Secondary teachers across the South Island walked off the job on Tuesday, calling for salary increases that match inflation.
Teachers took part in strikes, pickets and marches as part of rolling, regional strike action by members of the Post Primary Teachers' Association.
The PPTA said the strike action was because of the lack of progress in pay negotiations.
The secondary teachers' union received a new offer for settlement on Monday from the Ministry of Education - however, it said it still was not good enough.
PPTA acting president Chris Abercrombie said teachers needed a pay increase that matched the cost of living, and the offer on the table did not do that.
Rosa Hughes-Currie, a teacher at Hagley College and a PPTA regional representative, was one of the picketers in Christchurch on Tuesday.
She said she would rather be in the classroom.
"I don't want to be on strike today. I love teaching and I love my job but I'm thinking about starting a family and I don't think I can do it on the current wages we have.
"The price of food and rent keeps going up and we're just asking for pay that matches inflation."
Simon Brouwer, a secondary school teacher in Riccarton, said teachers were frustrated by the slow progress in negotiations.
"We're here because we want to have some visibility for the issues with education.
"We're pretty sick and tired of these negotiations, they're falling short of where things need to be at."
Abercrombie said the attraction and retention of teachers was vital because there was a chronic shortage.
"Every student has a right to have a specialist teacher in every subject but tragically that is not the case in an increasing number of schools."
PPTA's annual staffing survey released recently found a third of all advertised teacher positions could not be filled.
Harrison Mcevoy, a student teacher in Christchurch, said his placement experience had been eye-opening.
"What I've seen is just a group of really resilient and strong teachers that are not getting the support they need from the system. There's not enough pay, resources or time."
Education Minister Jan Tinetti said she was surprised strike action was continuing this week when there was a facilitated bargaining process in place.
"My intention and expectation is that we get this settled very quickly. I want to see money in the pockets of our teachers."
Abercrombie said the PPTA's national executive would consider the Ministry of Education's offer for settlement later this week, but at this stage rolling strikes would continue.
On Wednesday the strike will cover area and secondary schools in the North Island up to Taranaki and Hawke's Bay, before moving to the rest of the North Island on Thursday.
